D1 bypass around Ružomberok opens to Slovak drivers

The D1 motorway section between Hubová and Ivachnová, which forms a bypass around Ružomberok in Slovakia, opened to motorists on Oct. 5, 2026, following an official programme and a police inspection. It connects with the existing four-lane motorway leading towards Košice.¹²³

Opening procedure

Denník N reported that a ceremony for the section, which it described as 15 kilometres long, was planned shortly before noon. The outlet said Transport Minister Jozef Ráž and Igor Choma, a state secretary and candidate for governor of the Žilina region, were expected to attend. It also reported that Prime Minister Robert Fico was not named in the invitation.³

After the official programme, the National Motorway Company was to prepare the road for traffic as quickly as possible. Police were required to examine and check the motorway before it could admit drivers. The sources said sections are typically made accessible between 18:00 and 19:00, although the opening process depended on the completion of those checks.¹²

Route through the Váh valley

The motorway begins at the grade-separated Hubová junction, where it links with the I/18 road. It crosses the Váh river, follows the valley’s northern side and passes through Hrboltová, a district of Ružomberok. The route then reaches the Likava junction, passes through the Čebrať tunnel and continues near Likava.¹²

From there, the motorway follows a northern bypass of Martinček and Lisková before crossing the Váh for a second time. At Ivachnová, it joins the existing four-lane motorway in the direction of Košice. The project also directly adjoins the planned D1 section between Turany and Hubová towards Martin.¹²

Traffic and local effects

The section contains 19 bridges, three junctions and the 3.6-kilometre Čebrať tunnel. By moving transit vehicles away from streets in Ružomberok, it is expected to reduce dense traffic as well as residents’ exposure to traffic-related noise and smog.¹²

Drivers using the motorway instead of the existing first-class road are expected to save several tens of minutes during busy periods. Denník N framed the anticipated saving as 16 minutes in ordinary conditions and more at peak times, but that specific estimate was reported by only that outlet.¹²³